Brian Little: It is crucial Villa get the right assistant

Aston Villa: Brian Little talks about the importance of the right No.2 at Villa Park

Paul Lambert has been told the appointment of Villa’s assistant manager could be his most important signing of the summer as he awaits final confirmation from Roy Keane.

Lambert has identified Keane as the preferred choice to be his next right-hand man following the sacking of Ian Culverhouse and football operations manager Gary Karsa for unspecified disciplinary issues last month.

The Manchester United legend has been in discussions with Lambert about combining an assistant manager’s role at Villa with his existing similar position with Ireland.

Former Villa boss Brian Little believes Lambert’s choice of No.2 is crucial as he plots next season against a backdrop of uncertainty at the up-for-sale club.

“It’s massively important to have the right people around you,” said Little.

“If you look at clubs now, that’s what happens. People don’t go into clubs on their own, they go in with a group of people who have to function and work together.

“He will be disappointed he has lost two people he’s worked with for years.

“Prior to his last year, he’s worked with these people for the first year at Villa, three years at Norwich and even before that.

“For that time everybody was happy with them, so it will be a big blow for him to have lost them. I know he’ll have learned a lot over the two years so his appointment of people around him is going to be massively important.”

Little enjoyed a close relationship with allies John Gregory and Allan Evans during his time in charge of Villa in the mid-90s and underlined the importance of employing trustworthy assistants who knew who was boss, but were strong enough to have an input.

“You need to have a bond of understanding and be able to be honest and straightforward with each other, but accepting the fact that whoever is the top man needs to have the final say in whatever goes on,’’ he added.

“I don’t think many assistants would challenge the manager, but it’s important they have an opinion. If you challenge managers it’s never going to work. You don’t challenge them, you understand what they want, but you should have a say.

“Sometimes you’ve had an opportunity to look around the corner he’s about to go round.

“As your assistant or assistants, if there’s more than one, that’s what you’ve got to do.

“They have to have eyes and ears so that whatever they’ve seen or heard they can relay that to you and have ideas to help you.

“It’s a big thing, as a football manager. Every now and again you get caught out with something and if somebody you’re working with knew it was going to happen then you’d be like ‘Well, why didn’t you tell me?’

“That person needs to be strong enough to say ‘Look, hang on a second, if you do that, it will have that impact on so and so’.

“In my time with Allan and John, we were all more than comfortable with that way of working. I don’t think they ever challenged me, but neither would they just nod along.”

Little will be speaking at An Evening With Brian Little, organised by the Longbridge Lions supporters club, at Greenlands Social Club, in Longbridge, from 7pm on Friday July 11.

Tickets priced £6 for members and £8 for non-members, with proceeds going to Cure Leukaemia, are available from Trevor Emeny and Aaron Wells on 07502 323385 or longbridgelions@outlook.com